A 2009 Pinellas County ordinance requires home and business owners to register their alarm systems with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. The ordinance has also implemented a fee schedule for any false alarms which may occur at that home or business.

On July 1, 2009, Pinellas County deputy sheriffs will begin enforcing this ordinance by citing property owners for false alarm incidents.

The Sheriff’s Alarm Registration Program or “SHARP” has been established for home and business owners to register their alarm protected properties on-line or by filling out a registration form and mailing it to:

The ordinance covers the unincorporated area of Pinellas County and the 13 cities which contract with the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services. The contract cities are:

Belleair Bluffs

Belleair Shore

Belleair Beach

Dunedin

Indian Rocks Beach

Madeira Beach

North Redington Beach

Oldsmar

Redington Beach

Safety Harbor

Seminole

South Pasadena

St. Pete Beach

There is no registration fee to sign up with SHARP.

Alarm subscribers registered with SHARP will receive warnings for the first two false alarms within a revolving year. Registered alarm owners who experience more than two false alarms in one year will be subject to fees as identified below.

Home and business owners who do not register their alarm systems with SHARP do not receive any warnings and will be subject to fees as identified in the schedule below.

Even registered alarm owners who experience more than two false alarm events in one year may also be subject to fees, as identified below, if the false alarms continue.

Registered alarms

Number of Alarms

fee per Alarm

Three

$30.00

Four

$100.00

Five

$200.00

Six

$250.00

Seven and above

$300.00

Non-Registered alarms

Number of Alarms

fee per Alarm

One

$80.00

Two

$160.00

Three

$320.00

Four and Above

$500.00

fees will be collected by the Sheriff’s Office after the alarm subscriber is notified following a violation.

An appeals process is available to both registered and non-registered subscribers.

Well over 90% of the alarms calls investigated by deputy sheriffs are false alarms. The purpose of the ordinance is to reduce the number of false alarms in the sheriff’s jurisdiction, and the time it takes for deputy sheriffs to respond to them. Fewer false alarms will contribute to the efficiency of deputy sheriffs on patrol as they are better able to spend their time responding to calls for service.

For more information, call SHARP at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office at 727-582-2870, or email sharp@pcsonet.com